title: Beyond first-line HIV treatment regimens: the current state of antiretroviral regimens, viral load monitoring, and resistance testing in resource-limited settings.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  With the availability of antiretroviral drugs in resource-limited settings, there is a rapid scale-up of antiretroviral therapy in developing countries.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The review focuses on the issues faced while patients are on first-line antiretroviral therapy in the absence of viral load monitoring, and the availability and progress of the second-line antiretroviral drugs and the salvage regimens in resource-limited settings.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is an urgent need for low-cost, low-tech viral load monitoring in resource-limited settings. Fixed-dose combination of antiretrovirals for first-line and second-line therapy will result in better effectiveness. There is a need for newer antiretroviral drugs in resource-limited settings.
authors.affiliation: YRG CARE Medical Centre, VHS, Chennai, India.
authors.forename: Nagalingeswaran
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kumarasamy
authors.forename: Sheela
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Krishnan
mesh_terms: D044966:Anti-Retroviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D023241:Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active / Q000379:methods*; D003906:Developing Countries; D016903:Drug Monitoring / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D024882:Drug Resistance, Viral; D006678:HIV / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019562:Viral Load
chemical_list: D044966:Anti-Retroviral Agents